Timcast IRL – Episode Summary

Episode: Charlie Kirk Assassinated, Suspect In Custody w/ Chuck Gray
Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Tim Pool (with Ian Crossland, Libby Hemmons, Phil, Elad Eliyahu, and guest Chuck Gray)

Overview

This episode of Timcast IRL is a somber and urgent response to the assassination of prominent conservative leader Charlie Kirk at a university event in Utah. The conversation dives into the immediate aftermath, the implications for political violence and free speech in America, and Kirk’s legacy as a cultural and political force. The panel is joined by Chuck Gray, Secretary of State for Wyoming, as they collectively mourn, analyze, and try to make sense of a shocking moment that has shaken conservative and political circles nationwide.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Announcing and Reacting to the News

• Tim Pool opens the show (“Today Charlie Kirk was assassinated at an event in Utah... it almost feels completely unreal and unbelievable to have to do a show starting by saying that they killed Charlie Kirk.” [01:11])
• Guests reflect on initial shock, disbelief, and the widespread reaction from political figures and the public, including Trump’s statement and public moments of respect like “the Yankees had a moment of silence” ([01:11]).

2. Charlie Kirk’s Legacy and Impact

• Chuck Gray emphasizes Kirk’s role: “Charlie Kirk was an icon. He did so much in our country. He did so much in Wyoming, where I'm from. I've been on the phone with Turning Point students all day from across Wyoming” ([02:14]).
• Panelists describe Kirk’s ethos of engagement: his willingness to debate on college campuses and “epitomiz[ing] what these progressives and these liberals have long called for, which is democracy” (Tim Pool, [03:49]).
• Libby Hemmons and others discuss the effect Kirk had galvanizing Gen Z and building Turning Point USA into a movement rivaling the RNC in youth influence ([18:46], [19:13]).

3. Details / Uncertainty Surrounding the Shooting

• Initial confusion over suspects and procedural updates: Libby Hemmons notes, “Kash Patel said the suspect in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues...” ([05:23]).
• Discussion about videos surfacing online, the chaotic response, and the uncertainty regarding the perpetrator’s identity and motive ([06:12], [09:01], [27:53], [50:44]).
• Parallels drawn to other political attacks, especially those on Trump (“this is the thing about Trump, this is the thing about Charlie. These guys will walk up to you and shake your hand...” Tim Pool, [09:01]).

4. Political Climate and Escalating Violence

• “We've been talking about how the political climate in this country is going to lead to these kind of things.... We've been saying, where's the off ramp?... And then it's been, political using the government, going after their political enemies. And then there was the attack on Donald Trump... and now Charlie. Where does it end?” (Phil, [13:36])
• “The people that killed Charlie, the people that are celebrating Charlie's death, they don't believe in liberalism. They're not liberals... They're looking for a reaction.” (Phil, [11:31])
• Parallel drawn to MLK/RFK assassinations as comparable national shattering events ([15:24], [23:13]).

5. Legacy, Next Steps, and Security Fears

• The panel discusses the debate on whether to cancel live events: “...do a show every night... or I can risk dying to go to a crowd of 500. And so maybe you want to say, yes, they’ve shut down our public events and they’ve isolated us to these spaces. But what is the answer?” (Tim Pool, [27:53]).
• Ian Crossland: “You got to change tactics. It's not a loss if you change your tactics... you just remanuver to a new position that's more fortified.” ([29:48])
• On carrying on Charlie’s mission: “campus events can still happen... local chapters who can carry on these debates and make sure we don't lose momentum” ([30:53]).

6. The Rhetoric of Dehumanization and Radicalization

• Panelists repeatedly emphasize the consequences of being labeled fascists/Nazis and the cycles of demonization online: “Do you remember punch a Nazi. And then suddenly they decided we're all Nazis.” (Libby Hemmons, [25:26])
• Elad Eliyahu points out: “They thought he was a misogynist because he was pro life... they think that because he was willing to call out black violence towards white people that he was a racist... many on the left are actually going to celebrate.” ([16:52])
• Social media’s ghoulishness and viral celebration of the assassination (“If you want to be radicalized... go to Blue Sky... after like 14 posts, I had to X out and almost vomiting. It was just...”) (Ian Crossland, [46:03]).

7. Examination of Responses: Left, Right, and Media

• Reports of Democrats rejecting a moment of prayer in the House after Kirk’s death: “Democrats reject prayers for Charlie Kirk as moment of silence devolves into House floor shouting match” (Tim Pool, [40:04]; [40:26]).
• Criticism of mainstream/media for contributing to polarization and demonization: “MSNBC issued a statement... Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive, and acceptable... During our breaking news coverage...” (Tim Pool, [82:02]).
• Trump’s statement calling for unity and denouncing political violence is played and discussed ([62:44]).

8. The Dilemma of Political Response: Justice, Security, Retaliation

• The group ponders justice versus vengeance, public executions as deterrent (see extended discussion, [58:08]-[62:12]), and the dangers of allowing emotions to drive public policy.
• Phil: “I don't see a lot of success in the future... if you can't actually have a conversation without ending up dying on stage, there's not a lot of room.” ([104:51])

9. Is Civil War Next?

• Extended debate about whether political violence will escalate to open civil resistance or conflict, and what that would realistically look like in America ([126:30]-[134:44]).
• Tim Pool: “What we are dealing with right now may just be civil strife. We don't know... The deployment of the National Guard and military ICE raids across the country. That is federal, military and law enforcement action to a greater degree than seen in the past 10, 20 years. The assassination of Charlie Kirk and the rhetoric on the left calling for more within the same day.” ([133:33])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tim Pool [01:11]: “It almost feels completely unreal and unbelievable to have to do a show starting by saying that they killed Charlie Kirk.”
• Phil [11:31]: “What's the point of liberalism if it leads to the 'let's talk about it' guy bleeding out on a debate stage.”
• Libby Hemmons [15:00]: “He cared about family... it was moderate politics and that's who they kill.”
• Ian Crossland [15:24]: “This is just Martin Luther King. This is like them taking Martin Luther King's life. The man spoke for a generation... Charlie had that same power.”
• Tim Pool [23:13]: “I think it's on the level of, like, you know, the assassinations of '68. I think that's what this is. MLK, RFK...”
• Tim Pool [27:53]: “But now we also have these live venue events, and it looks like I have no choice but to cancel them...”
• Libby Hemmons [45:50]: “As a woman who went on his show a fair number of times... he had nothing but respect for me... he was a really good man.”
• Ian Crossland [46:03]: “Yeah, go to Blue Sky... after like 14 posts, I had to X out and almost vomiting. It was just...”
• Donald Trump [62:44]: “Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much... An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed. Because together, we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come.”
• Tim Pool [70:17]: “He was a powerful business mind. He knew how to build a machine better than anybody else... He’s a once in a thousand years kind of guy.”
• Phil [104:51]: “You killed the guy that was beating them at the argument. And if you can't actually have a conversation without, you know, ending up dying on stage... there's not a lot of room left you can go...”
• Tim Pool [133:33]: “The question now is with the left's response about escalation, if they... start taking up on it. My other fear is that people on the right might escalate as well... That's what civil war looks like.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:11] — Tim Pool announces the assassination, initial reaction
• [02:14] — Chuck Gray on Kirk’s legacy, work in Wyoming
• [05:23] — Uncertainty about suspects, updates on investigation
• [09:01] — Comparisons to Trump, wider implications for public figures
• [13:36] — Phil reflects on escalation and lack of political “off ramp”
• [15:24] — Ian likens Kirk’s killing to MLK
• [23:13] — Panel: This is an 'assassinations of '68' moment
• [27:53] — Tim Pool debates canceling live events due to security
• [40:04] — Congressional moment of silence devolves into shouting
• [45:50] — Libby Hemmons on Kirk’s respectfulness
• [50:44] — Crowd confusion, social media analysis, shooter theories
• [62:44] — Donald Trump’s on-air statement memorializing Kirk
• [104:51] — Phil: “if you can't have a conversation without dying on stage...”
• [133:33] — Tim unpacks what “civil war” would look like in the US context

Tone & Style

• Tone: Somber, urgent, reflective, at times angry but determined. There is deep personal loss expressed by several panelists, mingled with their familiar direct, unfiltered style.
• Style: Conversational, unscripted, emotionally raw. Frequent switches between personal anecdotes, political analysis, and direct criticism of media/ideological opponents.

Concluding Reflections

The episode closes on reminders to continue Kirk’s legacy and warnings about the intensifying dangers of political division. The entire team, bolstered by the presence of Chuck Gray, urges calm, vigilance, justice—not vengeance—and a continued commitment to reasoned debate in the midst of crisis.

Chuck Gray [137:29]: “We will not be silenced... We have to keep the mantle torch going that Charlie has been doing for all these years.”

Libby Hemmons [138:02]: “Thank you for sticking with us tonight as we tried to make sense of the completely nonsensical.”

Phil [138:19]: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Rest in peace, Charlie.”

For further details and live reactions, the episode continued on Rumble for uncensored audience Q&A.